Finding the Goddess Within...

Women have more freedom now than ever in history because of the sexual and spiritual awakenings of the ‘60s and ‘70s. We are taking that freedom and forging our own paths. Some are becoming political leaders and CEO’s; breaking through the glass ceiling and stepping into roles routinely held by men. While other women take a different approach, taking a cue from our fore mothers and devoting themselves to their families. Either path is perfectly valid; for one is no less courageous than the other. These two types of women may be on separate paths and may have distinctly different life goals, but they still have much in common. Many women even fulfill both these roles and many more. All women, no matter their path, race, culture or creed share a common thread, their sexuality.

Despite all of our advances we are just recently empowering sexuality for women. Women are still fighting the battle that a sexualized woman is a negative thing. However, many women are taking up the charge and claiming their sexuality as their own. One of the many ways this is being done is by the Burlesque community. We Burlesque Ladies are taking the art of stripping a step back in time and putting a futuristic spin on it. Speaking for my peers and I, performing burlesque has opened a whole new aspect of confidence and happiness. By embracing my sexuality and revealing my skin, I have revealed a hidden layer within myself. I have found the Goddess within. Every night when I step on to the stage I leave behind my mortal shell with all of its flaws and become the Goddess. I am Aphrodite. I am Bast. I am the Goddess and so is every woman.

I am offering readings form the following tools.

Tarot of the Cat People- This is usually my go to deck and is very insightful for those looking for inquiries about serious situations.

Aleister Crowley Thoth Deck- When you need hard answer to tough questions and every other form of divination has given you the runaround.

Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess - This for when you want to be pointed in the right direction of your spiritual journey and aids in the process of inward gnosis.

The Zombie Tarot- While this deck appears to be for entertainment purposes only. It is certainly most entertaining it also gives insightful information in its own comical way. Sometimes making that bitter pill at little easier to swallow.

Olivia's Bettie Page Playing Cards- Perfect for that general reading or for someone interested in the Romance department. These cards can also be used for more serious readings and are perfect for Yes or No questions. All with a Sexy Bettie on every card.

The Gothic Tarot- I typically use these for Necromancy (communioning with the dead) and / or working with Psychopomps (death deities). These cards are very serious and can be cantankerous. They prefer working with the dead.

Runes- I prefer to use Runes combined with other forms of Divination. Runes can be very broad in the meaning. Which makes them wonderful for general readings for more insightful information I like to layer them with Tarot.

Scrying/ Psychic readings- Using no tool at all or simply staring in a bowl of water. I can recieve messages from either those on the other side or spirits and deities. I prefer to use this again with Tarot or Runes to get more detailed information.

Sometimes you don’t choose your Gods they Choose You...

I should preface this with a little background information about myself. I have always been a rebel without a cause and of course become even much more so of rebel when given a cause. When everyone is turning right I must go left usually the reason is arbitrary at best. The more someone pushes me to go with the herd the more I will fight them and I do enjoy a good fight. It may simply be my Cat-ness (see Bast How I met My Mother.)

Many moons ago when I was a young gothling, a wanna be Baby Bat. I had just graduated from highschool and was living on my own and attending the local community college. As one social outcast can only find another. I soon found what was affectionately called Freaks Corner. A section of the cafeteria where all of us misfits hung out in between classes or even during classes, some of us didn’t even attend school there anymore. It was here in Freaks Corner where I graduated from a research Pagan to a practicing Pagan. Freaks Corner was my Mecca, it was everything I always fantasized about in the French Revolution cafes, where writers like Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas met till the wee hours of the morning drinking and debating right there in modern Suburbia. It was HERE that I met my first real Pagans people who knew about the things I was just learning about and not some faceless screen name half a world way via an internet connect but flesh and blood people. And some of the very worst kind of Pagans I could have fallen with. I learned much during my time there everything except what I was taking classes on. In between LARPing Vampire the Masquerade and playing Magic the Gathering was discussions on Nietzsche, Satanism and Anarchy. This is also where I met my first Unofficial Teacher.

I say unofficial because she refused to teach me. She had taken many a student under her wing but always refused my requests. Finally, she told me that she only teaches those who are not naturally gifted. That she was the “Special Ed” teacher. I never fully accepted this flattering refusal and figured that there was another reason she would never tell me. As one who was never easily deterred I learned much from her by simply watching and observing. In this group of people were those who dabbled in things they shouldn’t. Soon theirs eyes started to gleam with a sheen that is a characteristic often associated with movie villains. Everyone in the group started to go off their hinges a bit and the rumors ran rampant. There was talk of demon summoning and animal sacrifice none of which I was a part of nor saw. I shrugged most of it off as vicious gossip and did my best to not get involved.

My life took a turn as it does and I was pulled away from the group I would not run into any of them until years later. I had just come out of the Broom Closet to my then husband and was looking for those of like mind that I could share my beliefs with. When I ran into the old group from Freaks Corner who had graduated to taking up space in a local coffee house. Upon running into my old mentor this time I was drawn into the web like that of a fly to a spider. She had a habit of holding court and at a friend's place around the corner where she would proceed to channel and let herself be ridden by the spirits of her choice, much to the awe and amusement to those in her audience. At the time the things I experienced in that room was extremely convincing and scary. The things I took part of in my own ignorance. Looking back now I do wonder how much of it was real and how much of it was a great manipulation, an answer I shall never know.

It was during such a session that the name of Set was brought up. She had stated that someone in the group had caught his attention and that he would be watching them. At which point my eye was drawn upward and what did I see. It was like a great ripping of the fabric of reality someone one had pulled way the ceiling and was peering in. With big eyes and a cheshire grin staring right at me. Having already been thoroughly attached to Bast at this time she warmly said that no harm would come to me. He simply wanted to get to know me better.

Now understand I am NOT an Egyptian reconstructionist and never was. I did not know who Set was at the time and didn’t really know the Egyptian Pantheon. I was still searching and that was simply not a direction my quest had gone. While I am thankful for those who research and preserve the Egyptian traditions it was simply never anything that worked for me.

That moment of meeting Set was fall of 2005. 2006 was my year of Hell. Set was literally invoked into my life and he literally destroyed everything that was not needed. For those that read Tarot it was like getting the Death card and the Tower card in the same reading. I was completely stripped bare of everything that I had built up from before that time and had to completely start from scratch. I lost my home, my business, divorced my husband, became seriously ill. He was a sand storm that came into my life and ripped me down to my bones. His only response to my pleas of mercy was. I like my children strong you will survive or perish. Anything else matters not.

I have learned that Set is the Epitome of Tough Love. Sink or Swim. I do not regret that time. I learned so much in such a short time. While the learning process was painful one does not forget those lesson because the pain has etched them into your memory. And the rewards of survival the rewards of succeeding after such tribulations ARE GREAT. My reward was ROCKY.

My God comes to me at night. He whispers in my ear, “Come you must tell my side of the story”. He sit besides me on my beat up cat fur covered couch in a suit cut to fit like a glove. Dark royal blue with a soft slate gray pinstripe, a crisp white shirt underneath with the collar open at his throat. His carrot orange red hair is swept off his face as his finely woven dreadlocks fall to his waist. He smiles at me with a big toothy grin chewing on a cigar gold rings flash on his fingers. Its a cross between corporate exec with old school gangster. Just enough, thug as they say to know he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty if he has to. “Write my story he says, Tell my side.” So I do.

As only a woman can give birth, a female figure uses her wand to greet a firecat, which is born of the fires of creation. It comes forth fully grown, ready and enterprising. Anyone lucky enough to encounter a firecat will live happily ever after.

The Ace of Wands Inverted, can indicates problems with creativity. In general, the Ace inverted shows blockage or delay. Business dealings, travel plans or projects may be suffering from lack of organization today. Be patience with yourself today, slow down. Don’t push the creative juices let them trickle in at their own speed.

The King holds the cup of knowledge in his hands. Being a practical person, he will not present it to just anyone. Knowledge is power, and it must be guarded carefully lest it fall into the wrong hands. A tiger is his companion. A totemic design of his cats is in the background.

The King of Cups Inverted, unlike the upright King, shows feeling out of control. This can manifest in destructive behavioral patterns, such as refusing to deal with disruptive issues, or acting in a way to upset a situation versus taking care of it. There is emotional vulnerability and this is shown in an immature way.

It is interesting how everyone is going crazy over the weather we are having but this weather happens every year. The phenomena that we are experiencing is the January Thaw. This happens every year from roughly the last week of Jan till Imbolc  Feb 2. Where figure out if we have 6 more weeks of winter or not. The January Thaw is important because if we have nice Springy weather on Imbolc then we'll most likely get  6 more weeks of winter. If it is cold on Imbolc then Spring will come early. I find it interesting that this happens every year but yet people are still surprised by it. We silly humans * I do not own the copyright for this photo it is used for educational purposes only*

To celebrate both Rocky and I being published in the Luck Issue of Faces of the Goddess. We are giving away an autographed copy.  I have set up a rafflecopter account for this giveaway so the winner will be chosen at random. You must like the Sugar, Rcoky's Art Page and the Faces of the Goddess page all other entries are optional and will alow yout to entered more times.

STARTS at 10pm goes till 2-14-2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway